In recent years, football has undergone several major changes. From the appearance of VAR to hydration breaks during the last World Cup, football is evolving. In a good way for some, in a bad way for others. In Spain, we know that arbitration is a major issue. Firstly, because Spanish fans are very fond of refereeing controversies and this Barça-Real divide – where each considers that the other is advantaged by the authorities – can make an arbitration error a state affair.
Then, there is also an issue linked to the show. Indeed, the loss of time, simulations, repeated mistakes to interrupt the rhythm, etc. also degrade the quality of the product offered. Javier Tebas and La Liga want to take matters into their own hands and have introduced several measures for this 2026/2027 season. As during the World Cup, replaced players will only have 10 seconds to leave the pitch. If they take too long, they will have to go out, but their replacement will not be able to come into play until the next interruption of play. A rule that we also saw during the last World Cup, and which aims to limit loss of time, particularly at the end of the match.
Changes of possession may be made by the referee
Another measure aimed at reducing the loss of time: in the event of an injury to a goalkeeper which requires the entry into play of caregivers – outside of specific contexts such as a collision with an opponent – a player of the team will then have to leave the field for one minute. Among the truly revolutionary new features, there are in particular the corners offered to the opponent. If a goalkeeper decides to waste time on a six-yarder, the referee will whistle a corner for the opponent. Which can clearly change the course of a match! The same goes for touches, which will be awarded to the other team in the event of a loss of time.
VAR will also have a broader scope of action. He will thus be able to analyze a potential second yellow card for a player, which was not the case until now. It can also be used to correct certain identity errors, such as a wrongly assigned card. Actions such as poorly given or non-given corners will also be studied by the video refereeing tool. See you in less than two weeks to see how these rules will be applied!
